One thing you can't fault Eddie Howe for is lack of effort. The man lives and breathes Newcastle United and lives and breathes his job.

In the aftermath of a difficult four days, it is to be hoped, however, that he took himself completely away from the stresses and strains of managing Newcastle United.

There is a tendency among high-performing people to double down on what they are doing in times of trouble. For Howe, after an embarrassing capitulation in the Camp Nou was followed by a disastrous derby defeat against Sunderland, there would have been the temptation to head straight back to work.

This is a man, after all, who goes home after a game and immediately watches a re-run, before a second run through the following day as he looks to analyse what went right, what went wrong and where improvements can be made.

Howe's attention to detail and work ethic on the training pitch is renowned. The hours he spends alongside Jason Tindall and the rest of his coaching staff at Benton has made him the manager he is, and...